Storms, hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes and the like are devastating to building structures. In the United States, wind damage to building structures amounts to millions of dollars each year in losses. Indeed, Hurricane Andrew struck Florida a few months prior to the filing date of this application and caused damages estimated to be in excess of $100 million to residential homes alone. However, even in the areas of heaviest damages, where wind speeds exceeded 150 knots, certain more stoutly-built structures withstood the winds far better than others.
Much of the wind damage to building structures occurs at a "weak link" of the building structure, that weak link being the juncture of the horizontal beams, such as ceiling joists or the like, with the vertical support structures (either vertical wood posts or concrete blocks). These nail-secured joints securing one piece of wood to another are very effective in preventing shear or compression forces from dislocating the joined pieces of wood. However, if strong winds cause tension forces, the nails are less successful and the boards are more apt to separate with significantly less force than that required to separate the boards with shear or compressive forces.
Unfortunately, while a building structure buffeted by a strong wind is subject to many forces--compression, shear, torsional and tension forces--it is all too common that ceiling joists, especially those separating the ceiling of a structure and the roof are commonly subject to high tensile forces. This results from the wind blowing at a high speed over a pitched roof with a resulting venturi effect causing a low pressure over the top curve (i.e., the pitched roof) compared to the pressure inside the building structure. Thus, roofs can and do literally lift off the tops of the buffeted building structure, separating from the building by the lifting force often at the roof line. Beams securing the ceiling to the vertical support beams are subject to separation through the application of high tensile forces generated by the wind. Once the roof is lifted or weakened, the walls often collapse due to forces perpendicular to the vertical wall surfaces and the impact of the wind against the now unsupported walls.
Applicant, inventor of the present invention, provides a means for reinforcement of building structures to better withstand high winds.
Thus, it is the object of the present invention to provide a method of reinforcing building structures by installing means to increase the resistance of beams to separation under tensile forces.
This and other objects provided for by installing Applicant's rigid metal tie rods from the foundation of the building structure to extend vertically upward and through ceiling joists or horizontal beams, affixing the tie rod to the top surface of the beams thereby anchoring it to the foundation with a threaded tie rod.